MR. CHILDERS, M.P., ON THE COLONIES.
Your politics are so quiet that I find little public attention has been called to them during: the month. We have always, ' however, a class of men speculating greatly upon the destiny of the Anglo-Saxon race," and New Zealand is a perpetual source of allusion in that direction. By far the most important speculation in cori--nection with the said "destiny" is the prospect free-traders look forward to of England and the colonies being bound-to-gether by some such connection as sub- | sists between Prussia and the States of the Imperial Zollverein. As yet: it cannot be said to be a question of practical politics, No one has introduced it into the'Earliamentary sphere, though it i 3 th^sprfc■ |of idea that might fascinate a mind.like j Lord Beaconsfield's. But X find a great » deS.l of social conversation revolves round it. Briefly stated, it is that groups of colonies —Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Cape, India, the West Indian , Islands—should be in the positionto wards England of having one system of Customs , duties and tariff, and that there should be * a division of . the whole in certain proportions, instead of the present Customs and excise duties. I have already mentioned how politicians like Mr, Braasey and Mr, Foster are in the habit of viewing such a : scheme. Mr. Childers, however, of the Associated Chambers of Commerce, haa been corning down upon the whole thing as " a quack's proposal" that would destroy the entire empire. By all means; he saya, let people invest their money in the Colonies. Now that trade is recovering, the return will be good, and the prospect of gain will be an incentive to patriotism. But how could a Zollverein work with the West Indies, which produces rum? If there were such a connection, the West Indies would be able to introduce rum into this eouptry dutyfree, and that would make ftR end of our revenue in particular com-, modity. Then, again, duties and Customs were not fixed for ever. The Chancellor of the Exchequer might wish to raise money at a given time by the increase of certain duties. But how about the Zollverein under those oiroumatanoes ? The Chancellor of the Exchequer would have to go to the legislators aud ask their permission, or he would raise the revenue without asking them. For the result would be that the vetoing power of England would overrule the vetoing power of the weaker State j or, if the Colony had the vetoing power, the Chancellor of the Exchequer would be unable to raise the revenue he wanted, even if he required it for war, Henee, as he puts it, inevitable "disruption of the Empire," Mr, Childera is an old member of the Legislative Assembly of Victoria, and an Agent-General of that colony. He is entitled, therefore, to the utmost respect, as one who understands the drift of opinion likply to rule on your side of the world, But it is a fact, all the name, that the Zollverein id§a is gaining ground, An important book upon 44 The Trade of the World," by 8,. Q. Webster, recently published, advooatea it in strong terms, making it include all foreign nations who adopted a mutual free trade principle, which is a step still further along. The Colonies, says Mr. Webster, could grow all the grain and meat wq' requiro. To which plea, we answer, Na doubt they could ] but if they won't, what theft? Jf free men prefer to be manufacturers rather than agriculturists ; how are you to compel them to prefer otherwise ?
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Bibliographic details
Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1253, 23 April 1880, Page 2
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596MR. CHILDERS, M.P., ON THE COLONIES. Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1253, 23 April 1880, Page 2
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